Brian Wong, barely legal, shares the ten pillars of emotional engagement

Brian Wong. A 21-year-old whiz kid; a little cocky, a bit of witty, and to me the highlight of Echelon 2012, and probably the most tweeted about keynote speaker. Even, someone was tweeting each time he says “Fuck”. He probably weighs around 100 pounds; but definitely fills the stage.

I was there to listen to the CEO & Founder of Kiip, and I didn’t pay attention to his age initially. But when he showed up, myself being at the ‘tender’ age of 28, I felt old. Yes the world is changing so rapidly, and he is claimed to be one of the youngest entrepreneur to raise venture capital, from True Ventures; at US$4.4 M. Yes it is true.

Brian talked about the shift in how brands can create an emotional connection with consumers, especially when it comes to mobile gaming. Read more

Startups: No kids allowed

Shit got down at a panel session on startup growth and scaling during the first day of Echelon 2012.

A very frank Brian Wong, the celebrated wunderkind entrepreneur and co-founder of US-based mobile advertising company Kiip, dished out some rapid thoughts about the early stages of building a company.

His most memorable quip though were his thoughts on first hires.

“During your hypergrowth, hire young people with no kids,” said the 21-year-old, who joined the panel late.

He reasoned that people with families are less able to handle the stress and commitment that comes with being an employee at a startup. Read more